Method of making cloth and mechanism therefor



March 16 1926.

F. B. STEARNS METHOD OF MAKING CLOTH AND MECHANISM THEREFOR Filed May 6,1924 5 Sfieets-Sheet 1 March 16 1926.

F. B. STEARNS METHOD OF MAKING CLOT-H AND MECHANISM THEREFOR Filed May1924 5 Sheets-Sheet March 16 1926.

F. B. STEARNS METHOD OF MAKING CLOTH AND MECHANISM THEREFOR Filed May 6,1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 March 16 1926.

. F. B. STEARNS METHOD OF MAKING CLOTH AND MECHANISM THEREFOR Filed May1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 March 16 1926.

F. B. STEARNS METHOD OF MAKING CLOTH AND MECHANISM THEREFOR Fild May 945 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Mar. 16, 1926 UNITED STATES FREDERICK B.STIEEARNS, 0F WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

METHOD OF MAKING CLOTH AND MECHANISM THEREFOR.

Application filed. May 6,.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that l, FREDERICK B. STE'ARNH, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Vorcester, in the county of lVorcestcr andCommonwealth of Masv sachusett-s, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Methods of Making Cloth and Mechanism Therefor, of whichthe following, together with the accompanying drawings, is aspecification.

My invention relates to the manufacture of cloth and has for its objectto provide an improved method of making cloth and a mechanism forconveniently carrying out the method.

In Patent No. 1,485,059, issued tome on February 526, 192 i, there isshown and described a method of making cloth, which consists in weavinga fabric by means of a loo-m and in drawing the fibres of a loosematerial into the warp of this fabric be tween the beating up ofsuccessively laid weft threads. In carrying out the invention oi theabove mentionedpaten-t, certain auxiliary mechanism is employed inconnectionwithanordinary loom, whereby the desired results are obtainedin a particularly simple and effective manner, and it is the object ofthe present intention to" provide certain improvements in the methoddis"- closed in the above mentioned patent, as well as improvements inthe mechanism for carrying on the met'liod'.

The advantageous results obtained by the employment of my improvedmethod and apparatus wild hereinafter more l ly appear, reiierence beinghad to the accon-rpariying drawings, in which- I Y Fig; 1 isa View inend elevation of a loom :h mechanism for carrying out my ruaprov' 1:method certain parts thereof being shown in section. 6

Fig. 2' is a view showing, on an enlarged scale, a portion of the partsshown in i.

Fig; 3 is diagrammatic view illustrating the: arrangement of theapparatus for handlingthe loose mate-rial whicl' i is incorporated. inthe fabric.

45 is a fragmentary view illustrating the driving mechanism for thedevice which draws the fibres of the loose material the fabric.

Fig. 5 a sectional view along line of Fig. 4, loolringin the directionoi the arrowsv Fig. 6- is a fragmentary perspective view 1924. SerialNo. 711,508.

illustrating a portion of the lay shown. in

Fig.2.

Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are diagrammatic views illustratingmodifications in themanner of handling the loose material in advance of its incorporationinto the fabric.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary View illustrating a modification of the devicefor drawing the loose material into the fabric.

Fig. 11 isv aview in end elevation of a portion of a loom, illustratinga modification of the means for introducing the loose material to theloom.

Fig. 12 is an enlarged view of a portion of ingthe mechanism for cuttingthe loose material, in different positions.

Like reference characters refer to likepartsin the different. figures.

Referring to Fig. I, the loom generally comprises a frame 1, upon whicha lay 2 is pivotally supported by lay swords: 3. mounted on across-shaft 4. The lay is. reciprocatecl by means of a crank a drivenfrom a power shaft 6 and connected to the lay swords 3" by suitableconnecting rods 7. The warp threads 8' are led to the lay 2 from asuitable warp beam 9,, and. pass through the harness, not shown for thesake of'cl'earness, and between the wires. 10 of a reed, in

the usual manner. The parts described thus 1,485,059, contemplates meansfor drawing the fibres of the material 12 into the warp.-

betweenthe beating up of. successively laid weft tl ireads. Myimprovedmeans for drawing the material 1%, together with means forintroducing the material 12 into the lay, will now be described- As bestshown in Figs; 2", i and 5, a cross 2, the upper rear shaft 13 issupported above the lay 2 by oppositely extending pairs of arms 14, 14and 15, 15, each of which is pivotally connected to the shaft 13. Thelower ends of the arms 14 are pivotally connected to a cross member 1bwhich supports the upper trio with respect to the axis of the shaft IEach eccentric portion 23 is free to turn in a groove 24 provided in thecorresponding opening 21, so it is obvious that when the shaft 22 isrotated, it will also have imparted thereto an up and down movement withrespect to its hangers 20 and the supporting cross shaft 13.

That portion of the shaft 22 between the hangers 20 is enlarged, asshown at 25, and is provided with a series of bristles, or teeth 26, ofany desired form, in a generally cylindrical arrangement It will beapparent from an inspection of Fig. 2, that as the lay 2 beats back andforth during the operation of the loom, the cross shaft 13 willoscillate above the lay by reason of the connection of its arms 14: and15 to the reed supporting member 16 and the stationary breast beam 19.The shaft 13 will carry with it the shaft 22, the extreme positions ofthe shafts ,13 and 22 being indicated in full lines and in dotted linesin Fig. 2. hen the lay 2 occupies its extreme rearward position withrespect to the breast beam 19, the shaft 22 will be moved downwardly toa point just above the surface of the cloth being woven, so that thebristles 26 will extend between the warp threads and engage the fibresof the loose material 12.

In order to definitely control the path of movement of the shaft 22,guide rods 27 are pivotally connectedthereto, which extend in thedirection of the arms 15. Each arm 15 is provided with a slot 28, withinwhich is slidably mounteda block 29 carrying a pin 29 to which the otherend 01- the rod 27 is connected. Each block 29 is adapted to slide backand forth in its slot 28 as the lay moves back and forth, and springs 30exert a force tending to move the shaft 22 toward the lay to the sameposition with respect to the cloth on each rearward movement of the lay.An adusting stud 31 is carried by each arm 15 with its end extendinginto the slot 28,,

whereby the degree of movement of the block 29 can be closely regulatedin order to vary the exact position to which the shaft 22 is moved. Thehangers 20 are also made the blocks 29 by: the studs 31, and in thelength of the hangers 20, it is obvious that the amount which thebristles 26 penetrate the material 12 can be very closely adjusted, inorder to control the extent to which the fibres of the material 12 aredrawn into the fabric when the shaft 22 is rotated, by means which willnow be described.

The shaft 22 is provided at one end with a bevel gear 34- which is inmesh with a bevel gear 35 supported by a hanger 36 pivotally mounted onthe extended end portion of the shaft 22, as clearly shown in Fig. 4.The gear 35 is carried at the end of a flexible shaft 37 of any desiredtype, which, as best shown in Fig. 1, extends in the direction of thepower shaft 6 of the loom. A spur gear 38 is mounted on the power shaft(3 and is in mesh with a gear 39 mounted on a countershaft 40. A bevelgear 41 is carried by the counter-shaft 4:0 and is in mesh with a bevelgear 42 carried at the end of the flexible shaft 37. The bevel gear 42is rotatably mounted in a hanger 43 which is pivotally mounted on thecountersh aft 40 in sul stantially the same manner as the hanger 36 ismounted on the shaft 22. \Vith this arrangement of gearing, it isapparent that rotation of the power shaft 6 will be transmitted to theshaft 22 in an extremely effective manner, the flexible gearing at theends of the flexible shaft 37 permitting power to be transmitted freelyand without interference by the movement of the shaft 22. It is obviousthat other types of flexible gearing may as well be employed fortransmitting power between the shaft 6 and the brush shaft 22, withoutdeparting from my invention.

In order to prevent the general inertia of the parts on the thrust ofthe flexible shaft 37 from exerting a force tending to hold the shaft 22in its lower position as the lay 2 starts its movement toward the breastbeam 19, suitable counter-balancing means are employed to assist thelinkage previously described in quickly moving the shaft 22 away fromthe cloth. For purposes of illustration, one form of suchcounterbalancing means is shown as consisting of one or more levers 44,each pivotally mounted at 45 on a frame member 46 of the loom. Theforward end of the lever 44 is pivotally connected by means of a rod 47to the shaft 22, preferably by means of a pin 48 carried by the hanger36. The other end of the lever 44 carries a weight 1-9, adjustablethereon in any suitable inanner, as by means of threads 50 provided onthe lever 44, whereby the weight 49 may be moved back and forth. It isevident that when the shaft 22 is moved to its extreme lower position,as indicated in full lines in Fig. 2, the weighted end of the lever 4 1I will be elevated above its pointof pivotal support. Consequently, whenthe lay 2 starts to move toward the breast beam 19-, the unbalancedweight 419 will exert a lifting effect on the shaft 22 and itsassociated parts, thereby overcoming, to a certain extent, the geueralinertia of these parts due to the rapid change of velocity of the layand also any tendency of the flexible shaft 37 to hold the shaft 22 inits lower position. Obviously, other means may be employed for exertinga counterbalancing effect on the brush shaft 22.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 3, there is shown the mechanism forconveying the loose material 12 and introducing it into the cut-awayportion 11 of the lay 2 beneath the cloth being woven. The means forcon- Veying the material 12 consists essentially of an endless apron 51which extends from a convenient point at the. rear of the loom upwardlythrough the lay 2 to apoint adjacent the breast beam 19, from which itreturns to the rear of the loom. Movement is imparted to the apron 51 bymeans of a drive roll 52 rotatably supported by the frame of the loombelow the breast'beam 19. The surface of the drive roll 52 is coveredwith frictional material of any desired type, whereby its rotation willimpart movement to the apron 51 in the direction of the arrow. The driveroll 52 is connected by suitable gearing 53 to the mechanism, which isusually provided at the front end of a loom for intermittently drivingthe take-up roll 54-. If desired, suitable means, such as a ratchet, maybe provided for turning the drive roll 52 by hand independently of thetake-up roll 54.

The apron 51 extends downwardly from the drive roll 52 beneath an idlerroll 55, from which it extends rearwardly in a sub-' stantiallyhorizontal direction, to an end roll 56, around which it passe The apron51 then returns in the direction of the breast beam and passes beneath aroll 57, from which it extends upwardly to a roll 58 located near therearward position of the lay 2. From the roll 58 the apron 51 passesinto the lay 2 and from thence over the breast beam 19 to the drive roll52. lVith the arrangement just described, it is obvious that the apron51 will be moved through the opening, in the lay in synchronism withmovements of the take-up roll 54, when the loom is operating, and inorder to take care of the necessary slack in the apron that is providedto permit the movement of the lay, a pressure roll 59 bears on the apron51 just above the idler roll 55. The shaft 60 of the pressure roll 59 isreceived between suitable brackets 61 which permit free verticalmovement of the roll 59.

It is obvious that any material placed on the apron 51 near the end roll56 will be conveyed forwardly and upwardly into the opening in the lay,and in order to assist in this conveyal and to hold the material closelyto the apron 51, I have provided auxiliary aprons 62 and 63 whichparallel the main apron 51; and move in the same direction. .Theauxiliary apron 62 extends above the. horizontal portion of the mainapron 51 and extends between rolls 64 and 65.. The auxiliary apron 63parallels the inclined portion of the main apron 51 and extends betweenrolls 66 and 67. As best shown in Fig. 3, the aprons 62 and 63 areadapted to be driven in unison by suitable gearing 68 connecting therolls 641 and 65 to the main apron roll 57, which in turn is connectedto the apron drive roll 52 by means of a belt or'chain 69. Obviously,othor means may be employed for driving the aprons 62 and 63, myinvention broadly contemplating the provision of moving surfacesextending parallel to the moving surfaces of the main apron 51 and inthe same direction, for confining the loose material to the main apron5'1 and assisting in its conveyance.

Referring now to Figs. 2 and 6, there are shown in detail, devices forpreventing theloose material 12 from being pulled away from the fabricby the forward movement of the lay, immediately following the drawingthrough of the fibres of the material by the operation of the brush. Itis apparent from an inspection of Fig. 2, that the full line position ofthe parts is such that the rotating brush is in the act of drawing thefibres of the material 12 into the fabric, and thatthe lay is about tocommence its forward movement toward the breast beam.

rial which has already been drawn into the cloth away from the fabric.In order to overcome this sagging tendency of the apron, I have providedmeans for holding the apron upwardly against the cloth when the lay isin its forward position, which will now be described.

One or more plungers 70 extend through the side of the lay 2and projectbeyond an extension '71 secured to the front of the lay. As best showninFig. 6, adyacent plungers' 70 are connected by portions 72 extendinglengthwise across the lay within the opening 11. Each plunger issurrounded by a spring 73 which presses against a head 74 provided atthe end of the plunger, and so tends to hold it in a ret'acted positionin which the associated longitudinal portion 72 is held flush againstthe face of the slot 11. hen the lay 2 moves from the full line positionof Fig. 2 to the dotted line position, the several plungers 70simultaneously strike a plate 75 provided on the rear face of the breastbeam 19, which causes the plungers 70 to be forced inwardly against theaction of the springs 7 3. lVhen this occurs the longitudinallyextending portions 72 of the plungers 70 are projected into the slot 11and press the apron 51, and with it the loose material 12, upwardly inthe direction of the cloth, thus overcoming any tendency for the apron51 to sag downwardly into the slot 11.

In order to overcome any tendency for the web 12 to be drawn backward asthe lay 2 begins its forward movement, one or more guard members 76extend into the slot 11. Each member 76 is composed of flexiblematerial, such as sheet metal, and is secured at its lower end to astationary bar 7 7 carried by the frame of the loom. Each member 7 6 isof considerable width, and presents a number of inclined teeth 78 on thesurface opposed to the web 12. The teeth 78 are preferably arranged asin ordinary card clothing, each tooth 78 being inclined in the directionof movement of the apron 51. Obviously the teeth 78 will readily permitmovement of the loose material 12 through the slot 11 in the directionof the brush, but will oppose any tendency for the material to move inthe opposite direction. As each member 76 is of flexible material, itwill readily yield when the lay moves forward until it occupies thelower part of the slot 11. A resilient wedge-shaped member 79 is alsocarried by the bar 77 and is positioned between the members 76 and theapron 51, the function of the wedge member 79 being to prevent thematerial 12 from slipping when the brush is operating.

From the foregoing (description of the parts entering into my invention,it is obvious that when the loom is operating, the web of loose material12 will be moved by the apron 51 into the slot 11 of the lay 2, in timedrelation to movement of the take-up roll, and will be held beneath thewarp threads 8 in such a manner that the rotating brush will draw fibresof the material into the fabric at each rearward movement of the lay.The amount that the loose fibres are drawn into'the fabric can bereadily regulated with the adjustments provided by the stud 31 and thehangers 20, either all, or only a portion of the material 12 being drawnthrough. In view of the rapidity with which the lay moves, it isapparent that the brush will be efl'ective only momentarily, for as soonas the lay starts on its forward movement, the brush shaft 22 will bequickly moved away from the cloth. It is obvious that the movement ofthe shaft 22 away from the cloth will be accelerated by the fact thattheshaft is supported in the hangers 20 by eccentric disks 28, andfurthermore, the weight 49, acting on the arm 4-4, will overcome anytendency of the flexible shaft 37 to hold the brush shaft 22 in itslower position.

The movement of the web of loose material will be smooth and uniform incharac ter, by reason of the fact that the auxiliary aprons 62 and 63hold the material close to the main apron 51, and by their movement,

assist in the conveyal of the material. In addition, the loose materialis presented to the fabric in such a manner that the forward movement ofthe lay will in no way tend to pull away the material which has alreadybeen drawn into the fabric, by reason of the functioning of the plungers70.

In carrying out my invention, it is possible to introduce the loosematerial into the loom in any desired form, depending upon theparticular kind of cloth which it is desired to produce. Obviously, thematerial 12 can be of any desired thickness and can be composed offibres of different lengths, and with different degrees of density.Furthermore, the loose material can be placed on the conveyor apron 51,either in sheet form, or it is possible to lay the condensed sliver justas received from a carding machine directly on the apron 51. 7

Furthermore, it is possible by my invention to vary the appearance ofthe cloth which is produced by the loom through proper manipulation ofthe loose material before it is introduced into'the lay, and in Figs. 7to 9, inclusive, there are illustrated a number of different ways ofproducing cloth of different appearances. In Fig. 7, the loose material80 is illustrated as having been introduced on the apron 51 in sheetform, and is then acted upon by a separating device 81 placed just abovethe apron. The separating devices 81 consist of a number of V-shapedseparators 82, supported in spaced relation across the apron 51 by meansof a bar 83. As shown in Fig. 8, the sepa raters 82 extend down to thesurface of the apron, so that as the sheet of material 80 is moved bythe apron, the fibres thereof will be separated into strips 80, whichwill pass into the lay independently of each other. Consequently thecloth which is produced by the loom will. have a striped appearance, dueto the fact that the material 80 will be brushed into the fabric instrip form. J

In Fig. 8 there is also described a guide,

or cover, 81 which. may be used in connection with the conveyor apron51, to confine the material on the apron in somewhat the same manner asthe aprons 02 and 63. The cover 84 is preferably adjustable with respectto the apron to vary the thickness of the layer of loose material, andif desired, the cover 81- may be made transparent or provide windows forthe inspection of the material.

A further modification of the manner in which the loose material may beintroduced into the loom is shown in Fig. 9, in which the material isarranged on the apron in the form of a predetermined pattermsuch assquares 85 of material arranged somewhat in the manner of a checkerboard. In carrying out this embodiment of the invention it is obviousthat the pattern of loose material is first attached to the apron insufiicient length to provide the material for the desired length ofcloth, and if necessary, the apron can be extended considerably in therear of the loom to provide the necessary space for the pattern.Obviously, the loose material can be arranged in many other patterns andcloths produced having the drawnthrough material arranged in the corresponding patterns.

Referring now to Fig. 10, there is shown a modification in the manner inwhich the fibres of the loose material may be drawn through the fabricsimultaneously with the weaving thereof. In this modification arotatable shaft 86 carries one or more eccentrics 86 which are adaptedto impart a reciprocatory'movement to a head 87 by means of a connectingrod 88. The head 87 is adapted to move up and down just above thearcnatepath of movement of the lay 89, through which the loose materialisintroduced in substantially the same manner as in Fig. 1. The head 87carries a number of teeth 90 which are slightly hooked at their ends sothat they are adapted to draw fibres of the loose material through thefabric as the head reciprocates, or a rotary brush may be employed, aspreviously described The operation of the eccentrics 86 is so timed thatthe head 87 reaches the lowermost point of its travel almostsinmltaneous- 1y with the end of the rearward movement of the lay 89,the head 87 being adapted to IDOVG upwardly in advance of the forwardmovement of the lay.

Referring now to Figs. 11, 12 and 13,there is shown a modification ofthe means for presenting the loose materialto the device for drawing thefibres of this material into the fabric. In this arrangement the lay 91is of the usual type and a rotary brush cylinder 92 is adapted tooscillate above the path of movement of the lay in substantially thesame manner as the brushcylinder shown in Fig. 1. Instead of conveyingthe loose material through the lay to a point beneath the fabric, as inprevious arrangement, the modlfication contemplates presenting the endof the loose materialto the action of the brush cylinder at a, point infront of the lay. l I

A pair of plungers 93 are slidably supported at each side of the loom insuitable brackets 94, 95 and 96, each plunger 93 mak- Ing an angle ofsubstantially 15 with the horizontal. Each plunger 93 is connected at1ts upper end to a crank arm97 by means of a connectlng rod- 98, thecrank arm97 being mounted on a cross shaft 99, connected I to the driveshaft'101 by gears 100 having a one to one ratio. Consequently, theplungers 93 are adapted to be given a reciprocatory movement as theshaft 101 rotates, one complete up and downmovement of a plunger 93being made for each revolution of the shaft 101, although this movementmay be obtained with a direct connection to shaft 101. Eachplunger93carries a box 102 at an intermediate point and an apron 103 extendsbetween the boxes 102, as best shown in Fig. 13. The apron 103 iscarried by shafts 104 and 105 which are suitably journalled at theirends in the boxes 102.

[As best shown in Fig. 12, the lower shaft 105 is provided at each endwith a ratchet wheel 106, and, when the boxes 102 occupy their lowermostposition, as indicated. in dotted lines in Fig. 11, each wheel 106 isadapted to 'beengaged by a pawl 107 pivotadvanced through the distancerepresented by the pitch of one tooth and thereby turns the shaft 105.In other words, the apron 104 has a predetermined movement impartedthereto in the direction of the arrow each timethe boxes 102 are movedto their lowermost position.

Referring again to Fig. 11, a conveyor apron 110 extends beneath theloom to a point below the breast beam 111,.and a web of loose material112 leads upwardlyfrom the apron 110 to the apron 103. The surface ofthe apron 103 is preferably of a frictional nature, so that the material112 will adhere thereto; if desired, the apron 103 may be covered withcard clothing so that the inaterial 112 will be carried upwardly in asub stantially vertical plane when the apron 103 is moved as previouslydescribed. A. guard member 113 extends between the boxes 102 in front ofthe apron 103, so as to confine the fixed supporting bar 115 extendingbetween the boxes. The material is adapted to be clamped against thesupporting bar 115 by means of a movable locking bar 116 which isadapted to engage the material 112 and hold it firmly when it is actedupon by the brush 92, by mechanism which will now be described.

As best shown in Figs. 14 and 15. the bar 116 is supported at each endby a lever 117 pivotally mounted on a pin 118 within the box 102. Whenthe box 102 is in its lowermost position, the lever 117 is held inengagement with a stop pin 119 by means of a spring 120, so that the bar116 is maintained away from the material 112 and the latter may be movedupwardly by the apron 103, so as to present a portion indicated at 112above the edge of the supporting bar 115. In this lower position of thebox 102, a resilient finger 121 carried by the breast beam 111 extendsinto the box 102 just above the lever 117 and rests on the upper side ofthe stop pin 119. by its plunger 93, as indicated in Fig. 15, the finger121 passes off the pin 119 and presses downwardly against the end of thelever 117, thereby turning the latter in the direction of a latch member122. The latch member 122 is pivotally mounted on a pin 123 and a spring124 normally tends to turn it in a clockwise direction. The other end ofthe latch member 122 is provided with a notch 122 which is adapted toreceive the reduced end portion 125 of the lever 117 when the latter ismoved downwardly by the finger 121. As the reduced portion 125 entersthe notch 122, the pressure exerted by the spring 124 looks the lever117 in the position shown in Fig. 15, thereby causing the clamping bar116 to hold the material 112 firmly against the supporting bar 115. Inthis position the material is held against movement with a portionthereof extending above the bar 116 so that the fibres thereof may bereadily drawn into the fabric when the boxes 102 are moved to theiruppermost position by the plungers 93. This action of the brush 92 isillustrated in Fig. 17, from which it is apparent that the amount ofloose material drawn into the fabric will depend upon the thickness ofthe material and the amount of material extending above the clamping bar116. Just after the material is drawn through by the brush 92, it isadapted to be cut off from the web by a cutting mechanism which will nowbe described with reference to Figs. 16 and 1.7.

A knife arm 126 is pivotally mounted on a pin 127 within each box 102,each arm 126 being movable in a plane parallel to. but spaced from theplane in which the lever 117 moves. A knife blade 128 extends be- As thebox 102 is moved upwardly,

tween the arms 126 and its edge is normally maintained just above thesupporting bar 115, and behind the material 112. The blade 128 ismaintained in this position by means of a spring 129 which tends to holdthe arm 126 in engagement with a stop 130. The lower end of each arm 126normally rests against a cam 131 pivotally mounted on a pin 132 with aheel portion 133 projecting outside of the box 102. As each box 102 ismoved to its uppermost position, as shown in Fig. 17, the heel 133 isengaged by'a bunter 134 projecting from the bearing bracket 95 of thecorresponding plunger 93. \Vhen this occurs, the arms 126 are turnedabout their pivot pins to cause the knife blade .128 to shear off theloose material 112 just below the surface of the fabric, the upper edgeof the clamping bar 116 coacting with the edge of the knife 128 to causethe cutting. If desired, the knife 128' may be shifted sidewise as itmoves. This cutting action occurs almost instantaneously as the boxesreach their uppermost position, whereupon the apron mechanism and theloose material is immediately moved to its lowermost positionin advanceof the forward movement of the lay. As the boxes move downwardly intothe dotted line position of Fig. 11, the material 112 remains clampedbetween the bars 115 and 116 until the boxes almost reach theirlowermost position, at which time instrui'nentalities are brought intoplay to unlock the clamping bar 116 just before the ratchet wheel 106 isengaged by the pawl 107.

As best shown in Fig. 15, a plunger 135 is slidably mounted betweenguide members 136 and terminates in a head 137 which provides a beveledsurface 137 opposed to a lower surface of the latch member 122. Thelower end of the plunger 135 terminates in an operating portion 138having a bevel surface 139 disposed at an angle of sub stantially 45 tothe horizontal. A guide rod 140 extends between the portion 138 and theguide 136 within which it is slidable, and is surrounded by a spring 141which tends to maintain the portion 138 in its lowermost position withthe head 137 in engagement with the shaft 105, which serves as a stop.

Just before the boxes 102 reach their 4 ately moves the lever 11'? tothe position shown in Fig. 14, whereby the clamping bar 116 is movedaway from the bar 110 to free the loose material 112. This unlocking ofthe lever 117 occurs just before the pawl 10? engages the ratchet wheel106, so that the loose material is then tree to be moved upwardly bythe. apron 103.

As the boxes 102 reach their lowermost position, the linger 121 isreceived in the opening just above the lever 11? and rides upwardly onthe pin 119, thereby preventing its interference with the turning of thelever 117 to unclamp the loose mate-rial. .As the boxes start on theirupward movement, the finger 12 1 slides off the pin 119 and again locksthe lever 11? the clamping position,

as previously described, the plunger hr ing, in the meantime, been freedfrom engagement with the stop 143, as shown in Fig. 15.

From the foregoing then it is apparent that when the loom is operating,the boxes- 102 and the apron mechanism carried thereby, will present theend out the loose material 112 to the brush .92 each time that the layreaches its rearward position. The brush then draws a predeterminedamount of the end of the material into the fabric, whereupon thedrawn-through fibres are immediately cut oh? by the action of the knife128. The boxes and apron mechanism are then innnedia-t-ely lowered fromin iront-of'the advanclay and the material is moved upwardly apredetermined amount to present a new edge above the bar 115, the boxesreach their lowermost position. The above adescribed cycle is thenrepeated for each complete revolution of the loom shaft 101. It isapparent that all of the above described operations will take place inrapid succession and in timed relation :to each other, without in anyway intertering with the operation of the loom in weaving the fiabric.

I claim 1. In a machine of the class described, the combination with alay carrying a reed and .a warp passing through the reed, of meanscomprising an endless apron for conveying a loose material to a pointadjacent to the warp, and means for drawing the .zfi'bres of said loosematerial tln'ough the warp in ad'- vance of the laying of the weft.

In a machine of the class described, the combination with a laytcarryinga reed and a warp passing through the reed, of a conveying apron adaptedto-present a loos-e material at a point adjacent to the warp, means fordrawing fibres of said material into the warp between the beating up ofsuccessively laid weft threads, and means for holding said material inposition as its fibres are drawn into the warp.

3. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a laycarrying a reed and a Warp passing through the reed, at a conveyingmechanism operating in timed relation with the movements of the lay forpresenting a loose material at a point adjacent to the lay, andseparator-s cooperating with said mechanism for controlling the arrangement of the fibres of the loose material.

1. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a laycarrying a reed with a warp passing through the reed, of a conveyingapron adapted to present a loose material at a point adjacent to thewarp, means operating in timed relation with the n'ioveinents of the layfor intermittently operating said conveying apron, means for drawing theloose material into the warp, and means for holding it in position whensaid drawing means is operating.

5. In a machine of the class described, a lay adapt-ed by itsreciprocatory movement to weave a cloth, of means for presenting a loosematerial at the tell of the cloth each time the lay reaches the positionfor the laying of .a weft thread, means for drawing some of the fibresof the loose material into the cloth, and means for removing theremainder oi the looseinaterial from the path or" the lay as it moves tobeat up a weitt thread. a

6. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a layadapt-ed by its reciprocation to weave. a cloth, of means for presentinga loose material to the .fell of the cloth, means for drawing some ofthe fibres of said material into the cloth, and means for severing thedrawn fibres from there mainder of the material.

7. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a layadapted by its reciprocatory movement to weave a cloth, of means forpresenting a loose material to the fell of the cloth and drawing some orthe fibres into the cloth while the is in position for the laying of aweft thread, means for severing the drawn fibres from therem-aind-er ofthe material and means for withdrawing the remainder of the-loosematerial from the path of the lay as it moves to beat up a weft thread.I

8. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a powershalt having a fixed axis of rotation, a lay driven from said shaft andadapted by its reciprocatory move ment to weave a fabric, of a rotatablyand pivotally mounted device carried by the lay for drawing the fibresof a loose material :into the fabric, and a flexible driving connectionbetween said shaft and said drawing device adapted to adjust itself tovariations in the distance between said power shaft and said drawingdevice due to the arcuate path of movement of the latter.

9. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a powershaft having a fixed axis of rotation, a lay driven from said shaft andadapted by its reciprocatory movement to weave a fabric, of a rotatableshaft carried by the lay and mounted for pivotal movement thereon fordrawing the fibres of a loose material into the fabric, and a flexibledriving connection between said power shaft and said drawing shaft fordriving said shaft simultaneously with its movement in an arcuate pathaway from the power shaft.

1.0. In a machine of theclass described, the combination with a powershaft having a fixed axisof rotation, a lay driven from said shaft andadapted by its reciprocatory movement to weave a fabric, of a rotatablebrush pivotally mounted on said lay for drawing the fibres of a loosematerial into the fabric, and a flexible shaft extending between saidpower shaft and said brush for driving the brush simultaneously with itsmovement in an arcuate path away from the power shaft.

11. In a machine of the class described,-

the combination with a lay adapted by its reciprocatory movement toweave a fabric.,

of a rotatable shaft carried by the lay for drawing the fibres of aloose material into the fabric, the shaft being supported in bearingseccentric to its axis of rotation.

12. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a layadapted by its reciprocatory movement to weave a fabric, of a rotatableshaft carried by the lay for drawing the fibres of a loose material intothe fabric, the shaft providing bearing portions eccentric to its axisof rotation, whereby its rotation .is accompanied by a lateraldisplacement.

13. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a layadapted by its reciprocatory movement to weave a fabric, and means forpresenting a loose material at a point adjacent to the fabric, of arotatable shaft extending substantially parallel to the lay, and adevice adapted to receive a reciprocatory movement from said shaft andthereby draw fibres of the loose material into the fabric.

l t. in a. loom, a lay, a link mechanisn'i carried by said lay, a fibrebrushing mechanism carried by said link mechanism adapted to be lower-erinto the warp by the link mechanism when the lay reaches back center,and a counterweight connected to said fibre brushing mechanism to actagainst its inertia as the lay starts forward.

15. In a loom, a lay, a link mechanism carried by said lay, a fibrebrushing mechanism carried by said link mechanism adapted to be loweredinto the warp by the link mechanism when the lay reaches back center, aspring adapted to draw said fibre brushing mechanism'rearwardly of theloom as it is lowered, and an adjustable stop to accurately position itsrearward motion.

16. In a loom, a lay, a link mechanism carried by said lay, a fibrebrushing meciianism carried by said link mechanism adapted to be loweredinto the warp by the link mechanism when the lay reaches back center, aspring adapted to draw said fibre brushing mechanism'rearwardly of theloom as it is lowered, and a counterweight connected to said fibrebrushing mechanism to act against its inertia and against said spring asthe lay starts forward.

17. In a loom, a lay carrying a reed, a passageway through said layunder said reed, a continuous apron extending through. said passagewaythen towards the front of the loom under the finished cloth, thendownwards, backwards and up again to the passageway in said lay, andmeans for maintaining that portion of the apron which at any time liesbetween the reed and the point of downward departure, close to the warpand cloth.

18. In a loom, a lay carrying a reed, a passageway through said layunder said reed, a continuous apron extending through said passagewaythen towards the front of the loom under the finished cloth, thendownwards, backwards and up again to the passageway in said lay, andmeans for maintaining that portion of the apron which at any time liesbetween the reed and the point of downward departure, close to the warpand cloth, said means comprising in part a shelf in front of the lay.

19. In a loom, a lay carrying a reed, a passageway through said layunder said reed, a continuous apron extending through said passagewaythen towards the front of the loom under the finished cloth, thendownwards, backwards and up again to the passageway in said lay, andmeans for maintaining that portion of the apron which at any time liesbetween the reed and the point of downward departure, close to the warpand cloth, said means comprising in part a supporting bracket movedrearwardly with respect to said lay upon forward movement of said lay.

FREDERICK B. STEARNS.

